Chapter 125
Chapter 125
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: Guild Master Isn't Enough With Just the Game
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I was thinking something similar myself, and when Gilgamesh brought it up, I felt such a strong connection that I burst out laughing for a good while. Then, sensing a gaze, I turned my head.
Even at night, my field of vision was bright.
The forest guide was holding a brilliant lantern, and the guild members had all switched on their illumination lights.
I muted my voice chat mic and asked Hyunwoo-nim,
“What is it? Something you wanted to say?”
“No, nothing like that. You just look so happy. Were you chatting with the other guild masters?”
“Yeah. It’s fun listening to those two go at it. Gilgamesh was ripping into Dart nonstop, but Dart’s got surprisingly weak comebacks.”
Hyunwoo-nim chuckled at my words.
“He’s the type who poured all his stats into meanness and skill instead of eloquence, after all.”
“Ahaha, true!”
As I laughed along with Hyunwoo-nim, I felt eyes on me.
Yu-gun was glaring at Hyunwoo-nim with half-lidded eyes, but when I gave his head a light pat, he looked away carelessly.
We were currently heading toward the Central Nation, led by the forest resident Ophelia had assigned us.
As soon as the guild members we’d sent to support other guilds returned, we dispatched the 2nd and 3rd squads to seize the forest territory, while the 1st squad pushed forward with the central assault.
I said,
“They’ve always been like that, but I bet Dart’s even more outmatched because he owes Gilgamesh one.”
“Oh, right. That incident.”
Hyunwoo-nim and I fell silent for a moment, recalling the event.
It had happened because of one SpaceKing guild member—innocent Goldbunker guildmates and civilians were killed by a betrayed hero.
The city war.
The fallen guild member had been a celebrity, and being so famous, the internet exploded over it. But it wasn’t just that one person who died.
Not only hunters, but civilians and police caught in the crossfire had perished in droves, knowingly or not.
Dart and SpaceKing had taken responsibility, enduring unfair treatment from the military as they hunted down the guild’s affiliated heroes.
That’s when Dart really toned down his temper.
People dying is heartbreaking as a guild master, but whether it was this 1004 channel or beyond, if I wanted to keep living as a hunter, I had to steel myself and adapt somehow.
My final resolution on that front: take care of my own people first.
“I hope our guildmates who logged out after getting injured by Error Code are all okay.”
“Don’t worry. They’ll be fine.”
“You sound so sure.”
I didn’t hide my skepticism, but Hyunwoo-nim replied calmly.
“The condition where injuries from Error Code never heal is probably only in effect inside the Babel Tower. If so, their natural regeneration should handle it, right?”
And just like that, Hyunwoo-nim was carelessly spilling his suspicious knowledge in front of me again.
Smiling, I said,
“I believe you’ll tell me everything someday, but I hope that day comes soon.”
Hyunwoo-nim flinched at my calm yet pointed words and looked at me.
Another voice suddenly cut in.
“I could tell you everything—”
Hyunwoo-nim flashed a somewhat menacing smile and tapped Mura-nim on the shoulder, silencing him.
It was a familiar sight.
Even though Hyunwoo-nim spoke to Mura-nim with one-sided formality, their hierarchy was crystal clear.
Mura-nim, catching my eye, gave me a pitiful look.
If I poked him in the side, he’d probably ignore Hyunwoo-nim and spill everything like a prepared whistleblower.
“……”
I sighed inwardly.
Mura-nim was a user who’d switched from Gentle Knights to Fullminak because he liked me, not caring about my gender, and he’d persistently begged to meet in real life just once, which eventually drove a wedge between us.
To the point where he’d have dated me even if I were a guy, 100%.
He’d advertised his feelings so openly that the guild noticed, and even after I shut him down repeatedly, he still gave me those eyes.
We couldn’t keep going like this, so some solution was needed.
Yu-gun piped up abruptly.
“You look super annoyed.”
Mura-nim, overhearing from over there, flinched and slumped his shoulders.
And Hyunwoo-nim looked subtly triumphant.
What an incomprehensible relationship.
Then Gilgamesh’s voice cut in.
[“Big trouble.”]
The ominous tone made me switch my voice chat mic back on immediately.
“What? What’s wrong?”
[“Why are there so many Europeans? Turns out their alliance is totally OP.”]
Everyone else was moving just fine at night too.
I grasped the situation at a glance from the map.
[“They’ve taken all the 9 o’clock territories. They came in from 8 o’clock, talked with your guildmates at 11 o’clock, and scouted the battlefield.”]
On the map, the red at 9 and 10 o’clock was vanishing fast, with two colors faintly entangled.
European alliance and China, probably.
[“3 o’clock.”]
Dart this time.
[“Spotted Americans moving south. Those rats were all clustered in the north after all. No sign of other countries, so looks like the US won. Engaging now.”]
Dart must’ve muted, as the battle noise that had started cut off abruptly.
Gilgamesh continued.
[“Here, China’s getting crushed by Europe’s numbers. What do we do? Should we link up with the Chinese in Asia’s name and team up?”]
Credit nearby muttered something like “are you insane?”
I answered instantly.
“Team up and backstab ‘em.”
[“!”]
Gilgamesh laughed in a stifled voice, lowering the volume.
[“Genius. Then we’ll send a messenger to the Chinese command before they die off more, link up, and deploy troops right away.”]
“Call if you need backup.”
[“Got it.”]
Truth be told, I’d pulled that exact backstab move against Goldbunker hard during the final siege too.
War’s war, after all.
It was amusing to think those brawling guilds were now teamed up.
Then.
Tadadadot.
“!”
A rushing sound made the guide flinch to a halt, and the guild members snapped into attack formation, eyes fixed ahead.
I froze too, hand hovering over my skill window.
But the footsteps were so light, maybe a small animal? Sure enough, a young brother-sister pair emerged.
Hyunwoo-nim beside me said,
“They’re a bit oddly dressed for forest folk.”
Somehow, their clothes had a sleek, ultra-modern vibe even more futuristic than our world.
Central Nation style, maybe.
Having heard from Epwen about the military’s schemes, I wondered if they were bio-weapons from the center, but their kid-like appearance didn’t fit.
“Please save us!”
The kids screamed as they ran toward us, voices shrill.
I scanned around, then blinked forward.
The siblings halted at my sudden appearance, and the girl rushed me.
“Mooooommmmyyy!!”
“Machines, machines with, hngh, laser guns, people, hick, waaaaah!!”
Even the boy, who’d seemed about to speak calmly, broke down sobbing.
Kneeling on one knee, I patted the convulsing kids, racking my brain over what was happening, when light and shadow fell beside me.
I assumed Abyss or Helcannon and looked up.
“Ophelia?”
Abyss and Helcannon behind me also stared in surprise at the suddenly appearing Ophelia.
Ophelia said,
“Trouble in the Central Nation.”
“What kind?”
“Word is Lenox went berserk and is about to smash it flat.”
“……What?”
“I’ve heard about those two’s relationship, but I didn’t think it was that intense.”
Ophelia said self-mockingly.
It was absurd, but a thought flashed through my mind.
“No way—it’s because of Lea?”
Absurd.
Lea had fled her Central Nation family to the forest and had Ophelia, so where did this deep bond come from?
Ophelia said,
“No way? The heads of the Lenox family all go mad eventually, handing over power via legal suicide. To perfectly rule the Central Nation, they need superhumans, but that place wears down divine sensibilities too fast, or so they say.”
The girl tugged at me hard.
“I learned in school too—Lady Lea and Lord Lenox were specially created by the previous divine generation as mental resonance partners to solve the gods’ psychological issues…….”
“Huh? R-Really?”
They couldn’t be older than ten, and they were already teaching that?
But why say “created” for humans? Does the Central Nation mass-produce people artificially?
Abyss called to me.
“Kaisha-nim.”
“Coming.”
Guild members had gathered close, listening to Ophelia, and now prepared for battle.
Mechanical noises approached.
The startled kids trembled, faces pale with fear.
“We’re stronger than those machines, so don’t be scared. Helcannon, carry the boy. Hyunwoo-nim, take command.”
“Yes, understood.”
Hyunwoo-nim nodded, Helcannon scooped up the boy, I grabbed the girl, and we rushed rearward.
I summoned Terra, Messiah, Whistle, and Elfer right away.
“Watch the kids.”
The exquisitely beautiful fairy Elfer looked down at the children with a somewhat displeased expression they couldn’t tear their eyes from.
She soon asked,
“Can I protect them and provide covering fire at the same time?”
“Do that.”
That’s why I’d called four of them.
Elfer nodded at my words but shot Helcannon a glance, her face full of dissatisfaction and unspoken gripes, though she held her tongue.
Ever since learning bound heroes were real people, not NPCs……
It was complicated in many ways.
“This one’s under protection too, right? He’s grown a bit suddenly.”
Elfer pointed at Yu-gun as if it were obvious, and he glared back with half-lidded eyes.
“Can’t I just blast him?”
“No.”
As I replied sternly, an urgent shout came from ahead.
“Take cover—!!”
“?!”
The guild members scattered in a panic.
Ziiing—
Shwaaaaak!
The laser cannon from the European fight swept the front completely, and one who couldn’t dodge vanished in the blast.
Hyunwoo-nim yelled,
“It’s a tank-mounted laser cannon! Everyone, voice chat on and spread out! Attack without formation!”
Tension spiked instantly, nerves on edge.